1. Field of the Invention
This field of the invention generally relates to organic light emitting devices. More particularly, the invention is directed to a system and method for driving for a matrix of organic light emitting devices in a passive-matrix display.
2. Description of the Related Technology
There is a great deal of interest in “flat panel” displays, particularly for small to midsized displays, such as may be used in laptop computers, cell phones, and personal digital assistants. Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are a well-known example of such flat panel video displays, and employ a matrix of “pixels” which selectably block or transmit light. LCDs do not provide their own light; rather, the light is provided from an independent source. Luminescent displays are an alternative to LCD displays. Luminescent displays produce their own light, and hence do not require an independent light source. They typically include a matrix of elements which luminesce when excited by current flow. A common luminescent device for such displays is a light emitting diode (LED).
LED arrays produce their own light in response to current flowing through the individual elements of the array. A variety of different LED-like luminescent sources have been used for such displays. The embodiments described herein utilize organic electroluminescent materials in OLEDs (organic light emitting diodes), which include polymer OLEDs (PLEDs) and small-molecule OLEDs, each of which is distinguished by the molecular structure of their color and light producing material as well as by their manufacturing processes. Electrically, these devices look like diodes with forward “on” voltage drops ranging from 2 volts (V) to 20 V depending on the type of OLED material used, the OLED aging, the magnitude of current flowing through the device, temperature, and other parameters. Unlike LCDs, known OLEDs are current driven devices; however, they may be similarly arranged in a 2 dimensional array (matrix) of elements to form a display.
OLED displays can be either passive-matrix or active-matrix. Active-matrix OLED displays use current control circuits integrated with the display itself, with one control circuit corresponding to each individual element on the substrate, to create high-resolution color graphics with a high refresh rate. Passive-matrix OLED displays are easier to build than active-matrix displays, because their current control circuitry is implemented external to the display. This allows the display manufacturing process to be significantly simplified.
FIG. 1A is an exploded view of a typical physical structure of such a passive-matrix display 100 of OLEDs. A layer 110 having a representative series of rows, such as parallel conductors 111-118, is disposed on one side of a sheet of light emitting polymer, or other emissive material 120. A representative series of columns are shown as parallel transparent conductors 131-138, which are disposed on the other side of sheet 120, adjacent to a glass plate 140. FIG. 1B is a cross-section of the display 100, and shows a drive voltage V applied between a row 111 and a column 134. A portion of the sheet 120 disposed between the row 111 and the column 134 forms an element 150 which behaves like an LED. The potential developed across this LED causes current flow, so the LED emits light 170. Since the emitted light 170 must pass through the column conductor 134, such column conductors are transparent. Most such transparent conductors have relatively high resistance compared with the row conductors 111-118, which may be formed from opaque materials, such as copper, having a low resistivity.
This structure results in a matrix of devices, one device formed at each point where a row overlies a column. There will generally be M×N devices in a matrix having M rows and N columns. Typical devices function like light emitting diodes (LEDs), which conduct current and luminesce when voltage of one polarity is imposed across them, and block current when voltage of the opposite polarity is applied. Exactly one device is common to both a particular row and a particular column, so to control these individual LED devices located at the matrix junctions it is useful to have two distinct driver circuits, one to drive the columns and one to drive the rows. It is conventional to sequentially scan the rows (conventionally connected to device cathodes) with a driver switch to a known voltage such as ground, and to provide another driver to drive the columns (which are conventionally connected to device anodes).
FIG. 2 represents such a conventional arrangement for driving a display having M rows and N columns. A column driver device 260 includes one column drive circuit (e.g. 262, 264, 266) for each column. The column driver circuit 264 shows some of the details which are typically provided in each column driver, including a current source 270 and a switch 272 which enables a column connection 274 to be connected to either the current source 270 to illuminate the selected diode, or to ground to turn off the selected diode. A scan circuit 250 includes representations of row driver switches (208, 218, 228, 238 and 248). A luminescent display 280 represents a display having M rows and N columns, though only five representative rows and three representative columns are drawn.
The rows of FIG. 2 are typically a series of parallel connection lines traversing the back of a polymer, organic or other luminescent sheet, and the columns are a second series of connection lines perpendicular to the rows and traversing the front of such sheet, as shown in FIG. 1A. Luminescent elements are established at each region where a row and a column overlie each other so as to form connections on either side of the element. FIG. 2 represents each element as including both an LED aspect (indicated by a diode schematic symbol) and a parasitic capacitor aspect (indicated by a capacitor symbol labeled “CP”).
In operation, information is transferred to the matrix display by scanning each row in sequence. During each row scan period, each column connected to an element intended to emit light is also driven. For example, in FIG. 2 a row switch 228 grounds the row to which the cathodes of elements 222, 224 and 226 are connected during a scan of Row K. The column driver switch 272 connects the column connection 274 to the current source 270, such that the element 224 is provided with current. Each of the other columns 1 to N may also be providing current to the respective elements connected to Row K at this time, such as the elements 222 or 226. All current sources are typically at the same amplitude. OLED element light output is controlled by controlling the amount of time the current source for the particular column is on. When an OLED element has completed outputting light, its anode is pulled to ground to turn off the element. At the end of the scan period for Row K, the row switch 228 will typically disconnect Row K from ground and apply Vdd instead. Then, the scan of the next row will begin, with row switch 238 connecting the row to ground, and the appropriate column drivers supplying current to the desired elements, e.g. 232, 234 and/or 236.
This process is typically modified to account for display parasitic capacitance. The light output of an OLED pixel is approximately proportional to the current flowing through it. Therefore, to control the light output the OLED pixel gives off, the magnitude and duration of the current flowing through it must be controlled. However, a given column in the display has a significant parasitic capacitance due to the parasitic capacitance of the “off” OLEDs in the column. The output current from the column driver must charge this capacitance in order for the column voltage to rise high enough to turn on the selected OLED. The charge that flows into the parasitic capacitance is subtracted from the charge intended for the on OLED, thus reducing its charge. This loss is significant for displays of practical size and practical scan rates. Some form of precharge scheme is typically used to bring the OLED rapidly up to its desired on voltage at the beginning of the row write cycle. There can be some variations to the process just described.
The above approach of driving all pixels with the same current magnitude and controlling pixel brightness by controlling the duration of time the pixel is on works well at slow scan rates. However, as the display scan rate is raised to a level that is required to prevent perceivable flicker a number of problems arise. The first problem is the complexity and cost in adding a precharge circuit. This adds complexity to the design. The second problem is that of power waste. In the most efficient precharge scheme, each on pixel must be brought from its off voltage (which can be as low as 0 Volts) to its operating voltage to enable the light output and then returned to its off voltage to disable its light output. The charge which is sent into the parasitic capacitance to bring the pixel to operating voltage and that is then dumped when the pixel is turned off represents wasted power, since the charge does not flow through the pixel and therefore, does not contribute to light output. This wasted power is significant in displays of practical size and scan rate. In less efficient precharge schemes the problem is even worse since the entire display must be charged and discharged during each row scan, even when some pixels in the row being displayed are never turned on. Consequently, there is a need for an improved OLED display that addresses these issues.